Retained placenta in dairy cows living in an all-day cowshed rearing system

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors that influence the incidence of retained placenta in dairy cows reared under an all-day cowshed housing system at KUD Tani Wilis, Sendang District, Tulungagung. This study used 216 dairy cows, that had already calved, that had been identified to have medical and reproductive records for data exploration. Data collected included the sex and weight of calf, single or twin calves, age of the dam, cowshed structure (floor, puddles on the floor, gutter, distance of cowshed to waste disposal, type of floor and roof, and sunlight exposure), feed of the dam (forage, concentrate, mineral supplements), frequency of retained placenta cases on calving intervals and days open of the dams. The prevalence of retained placenta was presented descriptively. Factors related to the retained placenta and its effect on calving interval and days open were analyzed by Chi-square test using Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) software version 20 for Windows. The result showed that the prevalence rate of retained placenta was 19.91% of all dairy cow populations in the district. Furthermore, the sex of the calf, age of the dam, sunlight exposure, and the quantity of feed (forage and concentrate) were related to the retained placenta (p <0.05). In addition, retained placenta increased along with extending of days open and calving interval. It could be concluded that the factors that influenced the prevalence of retained placenta were the sex of the calf, the age of the cow, the feed and concentrate, and the cowshed that is not facing the sun.